Has Roger Federer played his last match at the Roland Garros even where he moved a step closure to his second French Open crown? The first in 12 years.
It was the determination of a champion that kept Federer battling for three and a half hours to quell German Dominik Koefer’s challenge 7-6, 6-7, 7-6, 7-5 . He is due back on court on Monday to tackle Matteo Berrettini for a place in the quarterfinals.
The hints after the third-round match were as shocking as the output for Federer’s 27-year-old third-round opponent. Reaction from the 20-time Grand Slam champion Swiss and Roland Garros have left people speculating.
There will be a lot of between the lines to read if two tweets from the Roland Garros and the 20-time Grand Slam champion Swiss were to be analysed. There is no official announcement but enough hints to speculate that Federer might not take to the red clay courts in Paris for his French Open 2021 pre-quarterfinal.
There’s nothing quite like it ❤️ pic.twitter.com/A5SCKFptrs
— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) June 6, 2021
Roland Garros responded by saying “See You Soon”, which drops a hint that Federer is packing up his travel kit.
See you soon, 👋#RolandGarros | @rogerfederer pic.twitter.com/t8nDzi27IY
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 5, 2021
Soon after prevailing over Koefer, Federer confessed that he did not expect to win three matches. Drained after gruelling 210 minutes on Roland Garros, Federer added that his participation in the fourth round would on fitness and stamina.
“I don’t know if I’m going to play. I have to see with the team,” said the 40-year-old icon. He also sounded concerned about the lack of time between the French Open and his next commitment. “I don’t have the week in between here and Halle, like normal, to see, like, what’s best now if you count back from Wimbledon and so forth,” added Federer.
Meanwhile, Andy Murray has showered lavish praise on the Swiss veteran for his endurance to win the third-round marathon battle. Murray in a tweeted messaged labelled Federer as an inspiration. The fans are hoping to see Federer in the fourth round but also want him to be fit for the upcoming tournaments.
If Federer decides to give up on the French Open prospects, the decision will obviously be influence by his Wimbledon goals where he has already bagged seven singles titles, including five on the trot between 2003 and 2007.
